Spanish Army Introduces New 52-calibre 155mm Towed Gun/Howitzer
;King Juan Carlos presided over a March 24 ceremony at the San Gregorio maneuver area, in Zaragoza, marking the service introduction of the new 155/52 APU SBT-1 gun/howitzer, manufactured by Empresa Nacional Santa Barbara, into the Spanish Army's Field Artillery Command.
;The President of the Autonomous Community of Aragon, Santiago Lanzuela, the Minister of Defense, Edouardo Serra, and the Minister of Industry, Josep Pique, as well as other civilian and military authorities, attended the ceremony.
;After a static presentation, the first 155/52 gun gave a firepower demonstration using both inert and live ammunition.
;The Field Artillery Command was integrated into the Maneuver Force in February 1996, and comprises a headquarters unit, the 62nd Rocket Field Artillery Regiment and the 63rd Field Artillery Regiment.
;The new artillery piece was developed and integrated entirely by Spain, and combines the highest performance with low cost of ownership. It conforms to the latest in field artillery concepts, which require a greater destructive effect against several types of targets (such as armored vehicles and fortifications) for use in both defensive and offensive actions.
;Firepower and a high rate of fire are the main qualities of the 155/52 cannon, which has a range of over 40 km. with additional propulsion ammunition.
;Weighing 12.9 metric tonnes, the 155/52 gun is equipped with various devices, including inertial navigation and ballistic computer.
